Chapter 41.1

Asher's Point Of View

We've been driving for hours. I was behind the wheels of the SUV, Wren was in the passenger seat while Cory and Andy were sleeping in the back seat.

We were on a mission, sent by the Kroma Conclave. This wasn't a mission I would have normally consented to, but the Overlord himself personally requested it. And with the increasing rate at which humans kept getting abducted, I couldn't look away.

In the past, while growing up, I had intentionally kept my distance from the Conclave, and everything that had to do with that side of me. Even though I was part demon, I hated it.

I was only ten when Azalea and my powers started to appear. The witches at the Crescent Moon Pack had tried to train me to control it. Even the Overlord had sent someone as well, to teach me and help me control my powers and Azalea.

But it was all useless. You can't fix something that's already broken and evil, and that's what Azalea was.

From the night we were born, the night his darkness fed off from our mother, the woman that gave us life, I detested its existence within me, and it was much better to lock it away. And I wished it stayed that way.

But today, I had no choice. The Overlord needed my help, and whether I liked it or not, he was the only family I had left from the demon realm. Uncle Daimon and I were the only living Night-blooded royals left in our realms.

"Don't do that Wren," I warned, almost growling, feeling Wren almost at the back of my mind.

He was trying to get into my head and read my mind. Yeah, he's able to do that with the others sometimes using his powers, but mine has been off-limits and he couldn't even if he wanted to. I sent a warning glance at him.

"Sorry, you've just been awfully quiet, I just wanted to know what was in your mind," He blurted, eyes on the speeding trees outside the window, and trust me, he wasn't sorry at all. "What are you thinking about?"

Everything. I thought to myself. My thoughts resting on my beautiful mate. I didn't want to leave her, especially today. She needed me, and there was a high possibility of her getting her wolf tonight. I didn't want to miss that, not even for the Conclave and Daimon. I had to be back on time.

Last night, I had given a task to the trackers in the pack, Julia and a few wolves. She was the head of the trackers team, and the best tracker in the pack, inheriting her talent from her father. I hope they find Jasmine before I get back. There were so many unanswered questions.

I also contacted some allies packs, regarding Jasmine and Cirilla's father. We knew nothing about him, except for the part that he may be a hybrid or Cirilla must have inherited her wolf and magic from both parents. I wasn't sure yet. But there was nothing tangible to track him with, our only best shot was tracking down Jasmine's root and then we could find Cirilla's parents. They have her photo and scent, I'm hoping we'll get more on her soon.

I was tempted to get in touch with Theo and the guys, their help would have gone a long way. Theo has more connections with packs across continents, but I didn't want to be insensitive. They had a lot on their plates already, still searching for the lost princess.

"How far have you gone with the other stuff?" I cleared my throat, hearing Wren calling my name. I diverted his question.

Wren cold eyes were on me. "I'm still working on it, even though I think it's a terrible idea, Prince Asher,"

I almost growled, tightening my hands on the wheels. I hated to be addressed as such. But then again, Wren knew it and still did it. It was his way of telling me how terrible the idea was, but I didn't care. I have to find a way of getting rid of Azalea. And the best option I had was binding him. And Wren didn't like that.

Azalea was chaos itself, and to some extent, I knew him best. He has been quiet for weeks now since the night he took Cirilla, and that only scared me more. His sudden silence was as bad as him wanting control, wanting dominance. And I swear I won't let him harm the woman I love as he once did. Cirilla has not seen even a glimpse of this side of me yet, this darkness I carry, and I'll make sure she doesn't. Ryker's a little skeptical about my decision, but he does agree we need to protect Cirilla from Azalea at all costs.

I pulled up in the woods, waking the guys up. Cory and Andy pulled up the boot and armed themselves with some weapons from the pack's armory.

We were able to track down the cave from the Intel we got from the Overlord. We hid behind big lumps of stones as two men came out of the cave, moving into the woods where they met up with a bulky man. They bowed to him.

I sniffed. They were demons. From their smell, they were in the lowest order. The demon kind had different orders of demons, and each of the orders had different smells and powers. And these were just ordinary demons.

I turned my ears to hear their conversation.

"How's the transformation?" The bulky man asked. He was their leader.

"Only three were successful, we freed them last night, and the others were a fatal mess," One of the men spoke.

The leader hissed. "The master won't like hearing this. He needs positive results to be able to exterminate every one of them,"

I narrowed my eyes as all three went back into the cave.

What did he mean by 'exterminate every one of them'?

"What are we going to do?" Andy already had his hand on the guns on his waist belt. I could tell he was already itching for a fight.

But that was not how things were going to go down today. We had no idea if there were humans in that cave who needed our help and as much as knowing what was going on in there was our priority, saving them was also on the list.

"Wren. Go inside and give me visuals," I told him.

He nodded. Dark smoke radiated off his body before he turned invisible and was out of sight.

After a minute, I connected to his mind. "Speak to me. What's their number?"

"Ten. All demons," He responded, telepathically.

"And the humans?" I asked, and he hesitated for a second.

"You need to see this yourself,"

"Let's go," We jumped off from the stones, moving quietly inside. We joined Wren in the cave. Monstrous screams and the stench of death invaded my nostrils.

I nodded to Andy and he pulled out a camera stick from his pocket and began recording the whole activity.

There was a huge cage in the cave, and there were a handful of figures in them. I couldn't tell what they were but they were far from humans. They were monsters.

They didn't look like ordinary demons. More like a Hollywood extra-sized, experimented version. They had red eyes and from their necks to the waist were in their forms but they had hind legs. What the hell was this?

"What the fuck!" Cory whispered and yelled.

These were what those demons were talking about. This must be the failed transformation.

"The master can't see these failures. Get rid of them and find fresh humans," The leader said, killing off everyone in the cage.

I nodded silently at my team, before speeding out of the shadows. I slashed the throat of one of the demons with the sharp tip of my claw. His skin began to burn, and swiftly, I detached his head from its body.

The burn was the effect of the purified steel at the bottom of my claws. It was more lethal to the lowest order of ordinary demons. Cory and Andy were using their guns made out of purified steel and other substances lethal to demons.

I wrapped my claws around the neck of the leader before he could escape. He stiffened and I could smell his fear. Good. That meant he knew who I was.

"What's all this?" I asked in a deadly calm voice.

He had started trembling. "I don't… I can't…"

My hold on his neck tightened.

"The Master will kill me either way," He choked out.

"Death by his hands would be much of a luxury compared to mine," I remained calm, and his fear increased like he knew I meant every word.

"The master gives us serums to inject into abducted humans," His lips choked with trembling lips.

"Why?"

"He's after the Kroma Conclave. He wants every one of them gone,"

"Defeating the Conclave is next to impossible," It was true. The Conclave wasn't just made up of the highest order of demons. They were almost the originals and were led by the Night-blooded royals. My family.

"The master has a secret plan. I swear I don't know what it is. I just do as I'm told,"

"Who's this master you speak of?" I queried.

"I don't know. I've never seen his face. He is always cloaked," He answered.

"His location?"

"I still don't know. We don't go to him, he always comes to us," I choked him the more. "I swear, prince, I don't know,"

I glanced at Wren, and he nodded. He wasn't lying.

"Thank you," I said coldly.

In one swift move, I snapped his neck, beheading him with my sharp claws, and his body burned to ash.

I scanned around. There was no one left alive.

"The videos are enough evidence of what is truly going on, let's go," I told them.

"Where to?" Cory asked.

"To the Conclave headquarters," I sounded, not believing my own words as the guys exchanged quick glances. "Burn the place down," I told Wren, before leaving the cave, and off to the Night castle. A place I never thought I'd ever go again.